Photo: Chinese and US national flags in Beijing, China, October 16, 2022. /CFP

Author: Stephen Ndegwa is a special current affairs commentator for CGTN and executive director of the South-South Dialogue Project, a communications development think tank based in Nairobi. This article reflects the views of the author and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

News that Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet American President Joseph Biden in San Francisco as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC 2023) leaders’ meeting has sparked global interest. Dubbed the “Super Bowl of the world economy”, the APEC meeting brings together political and business leaders from 21 member countries in the Pacific region.

It’s perfect timing for Joseph Biden as he faces backlash over America’s support for Israel in its devastating conflict with the Palestinians. The US feels increasingly discredited in the international community and may indirectly seek China’s support and advice in facing growing global challenges.

This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in January 2021. The world is still holding its breath over the results of the first meeting which took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali. , Indonesia, in mid-November 2022.

This time, Washington seems to attach great importance to the bilateral and global significance of the meeting of the two leaders. According to a statement from the White House, trade is clearly high on the agenda. Many of the problems facing bilateral relations are caused by US efforts to separate trade and technology. The United States has embarked on a trade war path to cripple other countries’ supply chains, causing those countries to look for other supplies and markets.

Photo: The “APEC 2023” logo is displayed on a screen at the International Media Center at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, United States, November 11, 2023. /CFP

China has adopted a “once bitten, twice shy” rule of caution in its approach to rapprochement with the US. Experts say China has clarified its terms before officially announcing the upcoming meeting. This includes respecting China’s “core interests,” such as its right to development, and the US’s firm recognition that Taiwan is part of China’s territory. Apart from the Taiwan issue, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden will discuss other issues that are causing problems in bilateral relations.

At a time when the world is facing serious challenges that we have not experienced for the last century, the meeting of the two most powerful countries in the world can only raise anxiety and positive hope. The weakening global economy, climate change, worsening peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, and other major power conflicts are problems that need to be addressed immediately.

But relations between China and the US also have positive aspects. In high-level visits, they are careful to keep the lines of communication open, even though they don’t seem ready to meet in person. Even so, these meetings show that both parties need each other, at least for the sake of world stability.

The world is transforming into a new order that includes multipolarity. The US’s usual “my way or the highway” attitude is no longer sustainable in the emerging new era, which is based on reciprocity and respect for the sovereignty of other countries. It’s time for America to wake up and stand up for coffee so that it doesn’t lose its influence even among its friends.

It is important for the US to respect the ideological positions and worldviews of other countries. For example, it is very condescending for the US to disparage the political system of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” as “regressive” and “authoritarian”, even though real evidence shows that this system has catapulted the country to second place in the world economic rankings. four unprecedented decades since the introduction of reform and opening up policies to the world in 1978, which allowed the country to eradicate absolute poverty in just a few decades and contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The world awaits the outcome of bilateral negotiations, with the hope that America will apply the wisdom of the American adage “to a third of everything.” Recalling previous failed attempts to restore friendly relations between the two countries, the consequences of a successful attempt this time will further contribute to the harmonious coexistence of major countries, which is not only a need for both sides, but also a demand for the world. and time.

(Yawen)